Dear Baby J (Your third letter),

Dear Baby J,

In some ways it seems like a lot has changed since I wrote to you November and in other ways it seems like not much has changed at all. The days are long but these months have been short.

You are still an adorably chill baby boy! In just a few days you will be 9 months old. You’re sitting well on your own now and kinda of sometimes beginning to scoot. We’re trying to get you to crawl but you’re not interested yet.

Your tongue issues have worked themselves out. You’re eating well now – the people at the WIC office say a little too well! You seem to like everything we give you – but are ready for REAL food with some substance. You’re working on teeth and I think you’ll have two on the bottom any day now.

You're meeting all sorts of people who are happy to get to know you!

You’re still sucking on your fingers and it still drives Ms. Shannon crazy!

You’re learning to hold your own bottle and drink it down so fast!











You’re a great sleeper. You’re currently sleeping in our dining room – or multi-purpose room as we’re calling these days. You sleep through anything that we’re doing around you which is great.

You still very much love your Big Sister. She loves to hug and kiss you and your eyes light up and you laugh when you see her coming.






We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year with you – all your first. What you should know (even though you won’t remember) is that you celebrated holidays this year with family and friends that love you deeply. 

 

We had good food (you got tastes of all kinds of things), good laughs, late nights, and lots of fun with family and friends. You were showered with gifts for Christmas and surrounded by people who love you.

We celebrated with our Circles family at a holiday party.You sat on the stage while the grownups played a silly game to look like reindeer! 

We saw Santa several times!    

You stayed in church with us on Christmas Eve to celebrate Jesus being born. You loved the lights and the music and I hope that somehow the message of God’s love and hope for the world soaked deep down into your being. You are loved little one, but lots of people in this world but also by a great big God who is also small enough to know you well.

            

We got to go to Disney World while we were visiting friends in Florida for the New Year. 

You rode several rides and liked seeing all of the people. 

You were unimpressed with the fireworks - but they were after your bedtime!

We're not sure how much longer you'll be apart of our family everyday. 

You see your mom most every week and she seems to be trying to learn how to be the best mommy she can be for you. She says your brother and sister want you to come home. You actually got to spend some time after Christmas at home with them and your grandmother. We hear that went well and were glad they wanted this time with you. They gave you some outfits for Christmas and some toys too!

It doesn't matter how much longer you live with us. You're a part of our family forever. We love you and love taking care of you. Most of the time you want your Bubbie still and she happily obliges. We pray for you each and everyday. We pray for you now as you grow and learn and pray for guidance for us as your parents. We also pray for your first family and the changes and decisions they are making to get ready for you to come home. 

We also have been thinking a lot about your future. There has been a lot of talk in the world recently about what its like to be a African-American male in our country. It is something we obviously will never fully understand, but you will. We hope lots of things for you. We hope you grow up happy and safe and with the same chances everyone else has to learn and play. We also hope you don't ever not love who you are. You are a child of God - perfect the way you are. We hope and pray for changes in our world and in hearts. We pray for peace and justice and fairness and mercy - and we pray these things for our world - but also for you J. I hope those are the things you experience now, and in 5 years, and 10 and 20 and 30. 

We love you Baby J!

Love,

Meggie